Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMUoHP) is excited to recognize the accomplishments and efforts of alumni who are making a difference in their field and community. The University acknowledges the efforts of distinguished alumni through two annual awards: the Early Career Alumni Award and the Outstanding Alumni Award.
Early Career Alumni Award 2021 Winner: DPT Graduate Dr. Crystal Miskin
Following her graduation from the RMUoHP Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program in 2017, Crystal Miskin, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, completed the Kaiser Permanente PT Orthopedic Residency program in Harbor City, California. After her residency, she earned her Orthopedic Clinical Specialist Certification. This specialist certification program provides formal recognition for physical therapists with advanced clinical knowledge, experience, and skills in a special area of practice and assists consumers and the health care community in identifying these physical therapists.
The following year Miskin applied and was accepted into the Kaiser Permanente PT Sports and Orthopedic Fellowship in Los Angeles and earned the distinction as Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic and Manual Physical Therapists (FAAOMPT).
In 2020, Miskin returned to RMUoHP as an assistant professor in the DPT program and to work in the university’s Community Rehabilitation Clinic (CRC). Earlier this year, she was appointed as the Director of the CRC. These opportunities have given Miskin a balanced blend of clinic work and teaching opportunities.
Miskin was approached by American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) magazine to write in their December 2020 issue illustrating her work at the CRC and how she has navigated telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aside from her work in the clinic and in the classroom, Miskin is currently working on her PhD in Health Science with a concentration in Human and Sport Performance here at RMUoHP. She is involved in a research study about using MOXY as a surrogate measure for FMD Doppler Ultrasound.
DPT Program Director Steven Wilkinson, PT, PhD, shared how Miskin’s commitment to service has been a driving force during her time as a student and since entering the physical therapy (PT) profession. “Dr. Miskin has demonstrated a commitment to service to her community that has been consistent in her life. She was a Humanitarian Aid Volunteer for her church and a student volunteer for the Utah Special Olympics prior to her time at RMUoHP. During her time as a PT student she volunteered at the CRC, participated with the World of Difference Africa service trip, and was a disaster aid volunteer and a volunteer medic for the Mississippi Special Olympics as a student intern. After graduating she volunteered her time as a pro-bono physical therapist for the Venice Family Clinic in Santa Monica, California. Clearly, she embodies the university’s core value of Service-oriented.”
The Early Career Alumni Award is presented to a graduate who has been practicing in their profession for no longer than five years and has demonstrated a drive, passion, and commitment to their profession in advancing healthcare and providing service to the University and community at large.
Outstanding Alumni Award 2021 Winner: PhD Graduate Dr. Brad Schoenfeld
Brad Schoenfeld, PhD, CSCS, CSPS, FNSCA, is a 2014 graduate of the RMUoHP Doctor of Philosophy in Health Promotion & Wellness program. Schoenfeld has been involved in the fitness field for over two decades, starting as a personal trainer and overtime evolving into a Tenured Professor of exercise science at the Lehman College in the Bronx, New York. He serves as the Inaugural Graduate Program Director of the Human Performance and Fitness program at Lehman College.
Schoenfeld has published more than 250 peer-reviewed scientific articles on exercise and sports nutrition-related topics. He is an author of “Science and Development of Muscle Hypertrophy” and is considered one of the world’s top researchers on the subject of resistance training.
In addition to publishing, Schoenfeld is involved in research on an editorial level. He is the Assistant Editor-in-Chief of the Strength and Conditioning Journal, a Senior Associate Editor at the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, an Associate Editor at the Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition, and an Associate Editor at Frontiers in Sports and Active Living. Furthermore, Schoenfeld was appointed as the lead editor for the 3rd edition of the National Strength and Conditioning Association textbook, “Essentials of Personal Training.”
His dedication to positively impacting society through promoting evidence-based fitness practice has received high praise in his professional field. The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) recognized Schoenfeld’s published works, awarding him the Terry J. Housh Young Investigator of the Year Award in 2018. Schoenfeld also received the Dwight D. Eisenhower Fitness Award for outstanding achievement in fitness and contribution to the growth and development of sports fitness through outstanding leadership activity in 2016.
Aside from his current research, Schoenfeld has made significant contributions to future research as he mentors students in his graduate program. More than one hundred of his students have participated as research assistants in studies. Schoenfeld’s efforts have resulted in students authoring peer-reviewed papers and developing them as future researchers and educators in the field.
Outside of his academic efforts, Schoenfeld has served as a sports nutrition consultant to the New Jersey Devils, a professional hockey team of the National Hockey League.
Brent Alvar, PhD, CSCS*D, TSAC*D, FNSCA, FACSM, Professor of Kinesiology at Point Loma Nazarene University, said, “Brad has over 14,000 citations which I would argue makes one of the most cited graduates of the University. He has published four books, seven book chapters and has nearly 200 research manuscripts. He is also one of the most sought-after presenters, traversing the globe, giving evidence-based lectures on muscular hypertrophy, fitness, and nutrition.”
The Outstanding Alumni Award is one of the highest honors an RMUoHP graduate can receive for distinguished contributions to their profession and for service to the University or community at large. Alvar said, “It is difficult to think of someone who warrants this accolade more than Brad.”
